intellectual diversity in the ischools: past, present and future
DESCRIPTION
The intellectual demographics of the iSchools Caucus as of 2009 demonstrates considerable diversity in faculty's disciplinary backgrounds.TRANSCRIPT
Intellectual Diversity in iSchools: Past, Present and
FutureAndrea Wiggins & Steve Sawyer
4 February, 2010
Today
• iSchools– Prior work– Disciplinary background of faculty
• Insights– Historical influences– Faculty composition
• Implications and speculations
Prior Work
• Studies of academic unit’s intellectual composition usually focus on prestige– Social structure (and status) is slow to change in most academic disciplines
– iSchools are new and fast-changing…• Little empirical research on iSchools– Sampling can significantly misrepresent; census is needed to adequately describe
Methods
• Census of 21 members of iSchools Caucus– Data collected for full-time professorial faculty
– Secondary data from web sources– Faculty population:
•674 in January 2007; 769 in January 2009•70 of 95 from addition of CMU (41) & Singapore (29)
• Classification adapted from “Classification of Instructional Programs” scheme …
2009 Disciplinary AreasArea N (%) Component Areas
Computing 233 (30%) Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics
Information 88 (11%) Information Science, Information Studies, Information Transfer, Communication Information and Library Studies
Library 79 (10%) Library Science, Information and Library Science, Library and Information Science
Social & Behavioral 78 (10%) Psychology, Sociology, Social Sciences
Management & Policy 70 (9%) Business, Management, Policy, Economics
Science & Engineering 69 (9%) Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Statistics, Engineering
(not electrical)
Education 58 (8%) Education
Humanities 54 (7%) History, Philosophy, Literature, Multi & Interdisciplinary Studies
Communication 40 (5%) Communication
2009 Intellectual Demographics
Area of Study
Be
rkele
y
Ca
rne
gie
Me
llon
Dre
xel
Flo
rida
Sta
te
Ge
org
ia T
ech
Ind
ian
a In
fo
Ind
ian
a S
LIS
Pittsb
urg
h
Pe
nn
Sta
te
Ru
tge
rs
Sin
ga
po
re
Syra
cuse
UC
Irvine
UC
LA
U Illin
ois
U M
aryla
nd
U M
ichig
an
U N
orth
Ca
rolin
a
U T
exa
s Au
stin
U T
oro
nto
Wa
shin
gto
n
Computing 39% 10% 27% 8% 79% 59% 9% 28% 16% 4% 70% 3% 75% 2% 7% 11% 24% 12% 9% 16% 16%
Information 19% 12% 1% 4% 17% 24% 11% 19% 22% 2% 2% 27% 39% 11% 28% 18% 28% 23%
Library 11% 12% 27% 2% 22% 10% 4% 9% 8% 30% 11% 11% 48% 36% 15% 29%
Social & Behavioral
22% 17% 12% 8% 1% 5% 22% 10% 16% 17% 16% 6% 19% 13% 11% 16% 5% 7%
Management & Policy
17% 61% 8% 12% 21% 20% 34% 2% 6% 21% 5% 10%
Science & Engineering
6% 2% 8% 8% 12% 21% 21% 24% 6% 10% 3% 18% 2% 3% 8% 4% 7%
Education 2% 4% 8% 4% 2% 13% 3% 5% 4% 6% 51% 11% 3% 4% 4% 3%
Humanities 6% 7% 8% 12% 4% 7% 17% 3% 3% 4% 10% 20% 11% 11% 18% 24% 3%
Communication 4% 23% 2% 5% 41% 6% 6% 3% 3% 9% 8% 3%
Total 18 41 26 26 84 61 23 29 38 48 29 32 67 67 30 18 38 25 22 25 31
Past: Intellectual Heritage
• Computing dominates: 30% overall– But 111/ 233 at either GA Tech or UC Irvine
• Five other “cores”, fairly evenly distributed– Library, information, management & policy, science & engineering, social & behavioral
• Breadth from organizational emergence– Rutgers: brings communication presence– UCLA: elevates role of education– Evidence of “local logics” in hiring
Future: Intellectual Agenda
• Mergers as a source of growth– Communications, e.g. Florida State– Information Systems (compatible interests)?
• Identity shift from “library” (explicit) to “information” (implicit), not just at iSchools
• Given current diversity and local interests, intellectual homogenization not a threat– PhD placement reflects intellectual diversity
2009 Intellectual Demographics
Area of Study
Be
rkele
y
Ca
rne
gie
Me
llon
Dre
xel
Flo
rida
Sta
te
Ge
org
ia T
ech
Ind
ian
a In
fo
Ind
ian
a S
LIS
Pittsb
urg
h
Pe
nn
Sta
te
Ru
tge
rs
Sin
ga
po
re
Syra
cuse
UC
Irvine
UC
LA
U Illin
ois
U M
aryla
nd
U M
ichig
an
U N
orth
Ca
rolin
a
U T
exa
s Au
stin
U T
oro
nto
Wa
shin
gto
n
Computing 39% 10% 27% 8% 79% 59% 9% 28% 16% 4% 70% 3% 75% 2% 7% 11% 24% 12% 9% 16% 16%
Information 19% 12% 1% 4% 17% 24% 11% 19% 22% 2% 2% 27% 39% 11% 28% 18% 28% 23%
Library 11% 12% 27% 2% 22% 10% 4% 9% 8% 30% 11% 11% 48% 36% 15% 29%
Social & Behavioral
22% 17% 12% 8% 1% 5% 22% 10% 16% 17% 16% 6% 19% 13% 11% 16% 5% 7%
Management & Policy
17% 61% 8% 12% 21% 20% 34% 2% 6% 21% 5% 10%
Science & Engineering
6% 2% 8% 8% 12% 21% 21% 24% 6% 10% 3% 18% 2% 3% 8% 4% 7%
Education 2% 4% 8% 4% 2% 13% 3% 5% 4% 6% 51% 11% 3% 4% 4% 3%
Humanities 6% 7% 8% 12% 4% 7% 17% 3% 3% 4% 10% 20% 11% 11% 18% 24% 3%
Communication 4% 23% 2% 5% 41% 6% 6% 3% 3% 9% 8% 3%
Total 18 41 26 26 84 61 23 29 38 48 29 32 67 67 30 18 38 25 22 25 31